TY - JOUR T1 - STUDIES ON THE POTENTIATION OF THIOPENTAL JF - Journal of Pharmacology and Experimental Therapeutics JO - J Pharmacol Exp Ther SP - 240 LP - 249 VL - 114 IS - 2 AU - Joseph H. Mirsky AU - Nicholas J. Giarman Y1 - 1955/06/01 UR - http://jpet.aspetjournals.org/content/114/2/240.abstract N2 - Three compounds, α-tocopherol phosphate (α-TPh), tetraethylthiuram disulfide (TETD), and β-diethylaminoethyldiphenylpropyl acetate (SKF-525A) have been investigated for their influence on the duration of depression of the central nervous system produced by thiopental in various animal species. It was found that a prolongation of the duration of thiopental-induced depression is elicited by α-TPh in mice and rats, but not in dogs or rabbits; by TETD in rats; and by SKF-525A in mice and rats. Several possible mechanisms of the potentiating action of α-TPh were investigated. It was found that α-TPh significantly influences the amount of thiopental appearing in the plasma, but not in the fat or brain; it inhibits the oxidation of thiopental by liver slices of the rat; and it exerts a slight antagonistic action on Metrazol convulsions. It has been concluded that the potentiating mechanism involves a combination of two factors: primarily an inhibition of the metabolic oxidation of thiopental; and a secondary, slight depression of the central nervous system by the α-TPh per se. ER -